Project Runway, or, Where's Donald Trump When You Need Him?

Did anybody watch Project Runway last night? Weird episode! I kept wondering if I was watching an (early) episode of The Apprentice. Team challenge, big personalities, bigger egos, and a team leader who needs a lot of therapy.

Oh, Gretchen. She's a good designer, won the first two challenges, but she's also a subtle bully. Her "help" during the party store challenge killed Sarah's design and ousted her from the show.

Last night, the challenge involved the designers being broken up into two teams, each charged with the task of coming up with a 6-piece collection.

Team "Luxe" contained several challenge winners, and they knew it. They (meaning Gretchen) came up with the convoluted plan of having everyone make several pieces. Every look they put together was the result of two or three people's efforts. They were so pleased with themselves, their teamwork, their love, their slightly pinko-plan, and their own talent. A lot of hand-holding and back-patting. Not a lot of critical thinking.

Team "Military and Lace" contained several people who had been in the bottom two. Their plan of attack was to assign each person to a look. They bickered a lot in the process, there was a lot of manic running around, but they also worked hard. And because each person had a specific look to be responsible for, everyone owned his/her work because they had control over their own vision, within certain perimeters.

Casanova had a meltdown when Tim didn't love his blouse. Now, I love Tim, but there are times when his advice needs to be taken with a grain of salt. On its own, the black lace blouse could look dated. But styled with white military-style pants and modern hair, it was very chic.

Long story short - Gretchen bullied her team (which was not, technically, to have a team leader) into doing a collection with her design aesthetic. Except, it came out baggy. Oversized. Oddly zippered. Cheap looking.

It was bad. It was really bad.

Team Military and Lace, though, gave Casanova and Peach (I love Peach!) a chance to really shine. Casanova was declared the ultimate winner, having redeemed himself from the dresses termed "pole-dancer in Dubai" and "transvestite flamenco dancer going to a funeral" by Michael Kors (Oh, my goodness. Does he work on these ahead of time, ready to pull out when appropriate, a la Mr. Collins? Really? And how is he not British? Aren't the difficult to please judges all supposed to be British?)

And then the weirdness started. Gretchen gave a speech in the back room (very long speech) about how they were going to stand together and be united and not point fingers link arms and sing "Kum-bay-yah" and "We Shall Overcome." They tried this, and Gretchen gave another speech to the judges with painful, awkward earnestness. Scant seconds later, the tune changed to "Michael done us wrong," which was problematic because Michael had immunity.

A word about Michael: He don't get no respect. He won last week by starting over at the last minute and creating a lovely dress. The rest of the cast sniped behind his back, though, about how he wasn't a visionary and the dress wasn't all that. And maybe he doesn't have the best technical skills, but he really impressed the judges, and on a judged competition, that's kind of all that matters.

Anyway. The finger-pointing started, and Gretchen gave it a good kick-off. Back and forth and back and forth...it was painful. I wanted Trump to come in with his pink firing tie and make the whole thing stop.

In the end, Gretchen and AJ were in the bottom two. AJ left, and it was a good call. But before Tim gave AJ his send off in the back, he (Tim) gave Gretchen what-for. I've never seen him do it before, but he called her to the carpet for bullying her teammates, and scolded the rest of them for letting themselves be bullied.

Curious to see what happens next week, and the episode trailer didn't illuminate anything at all, other than the fact that the challenge would be difficult, the designers wouldn't be happy about it, there would be a surprise twist they'd be even less happy about it, followed by a dressing-down by the judges.

So, pretty much, business as usual.

Did you see the episode? What did you think?

Simply Sara and Magic Red Pepper Sauce

Not sure where to start.

I'll start with the book. Simply Sara arrived via FedEx this morning. She's lovely. And Shiny.

There are some things you should know about this book.

1.) Simply Sara is a slimmer volume than Plain Jayne. Don't think that you're getting less book, though. Sara is actually about 5,000 words longer. She's just formatted for print in such a way that she uses less paper.

2.) Ergo, Sara is quite eco-friendly. Which will make Sonnet's parents happy. You'll find out why when you read the book.

3.) Do me a favor. Please. Pretty please. Do not flip to the back to read the ending. Please. Don't do it. You know who you are. I've done this myself - things get dicey and you want to know that the author is going to land this plane on the tarmac, not the middle of the Indian ocean.

You have to trust me. The plane lands. It's a surprise. It's a good surprise. This is not Hamlet. There are no bodies being dragged off the stage. I'm just as invested in the happiness of my characters as you are. Probably more. One night Danny came home to find me having an absolute meltdown because of what Sara (who technically is not a real person) was going through.

But you know what? A week later in the writing game, things turned around. Sara winds up very happy, and she does so in a manner that completely surprised me. I wish that same surprise for you. So keep your fingers from flipping back there. Nothing good can come of it. And the witty acknowledgements are in the front, so you really have no excuse.

4. You can download the first chapter here.

5. You can view the super cute book trailer here.

6. You can also mark your calender for the first official book signing at Barnes & Noble in Eugene, which is October 3rd at 4pm.

Moving on.

I'm now working on a book about Jayne and Sara's dear friend, Gemma. Ah, Gemma, who cooks like an angel and accessorizes in a way that Michael Kors would approve of. Gemma who has a job many would dream of. Gemma who cannot, it seems, get a decent date.

There's more to the story than that, and my agent and I are shaping and discoursing over it, but I think it's going to be amazing.

And not just because, well, it's Gemma, and we get to hang out in the kitchen with her. Though that is one very good reason.

In the chapter I'm working on, she makes herself dinner. I want to sit at her feet in the kitchen, sneaking bites whenever she gets distracted. The first item I included was a red pepper sauce.

The sauce is inspired by the Pioneer Woman's Red Pepper sauce. Now, I love her, and I loved the sauce, but I had a hunch it could go places. Yummy places.

So I experimented, and...wow.

You want this sauce. Trust me.

What you need:

Pasta of choice (I like campanelle and farfalle at the moment)

4 large red peppers

1/2 an onion

2-3 cloves of garlic

Creme Fraiche

Heavy Cream

Red pepper flakes

Some sugar

Some salt

Some milk

Grated Parmesan cheese (Pecorino Romano works too)

Note: This recipe is not particularly...precise. But we're not baking here. It's okay to make things the way you want them in a sauce like this.

1. Roast the peppers. This can take a bit, so bring a book, or your phone, or your child, or something. I stick mine on a baking sheet covered with foil and place them under the broiler, top rack of my oven. Once the tops get nice and blackened, pull out the sheet and turn them. Keep doing this until they're completely black and blistered. Stick them (using tongs), into a plastic ziplock bag and let them sweat for a while.

2. While they're sweating, chop the onion and garlic. Saute them in a medium saucepan in some olive oil, over medium-ish heat. Throw in some red pepper flakes. I just shook it a couple times - if you like things spicier, go for it. You're eating it. Cook until the onions are golden but not dry. Remove from heat.

3. Pull out your blender. Hopefully, your peppers are cool enough to handle by now. If not, you can work on the first one while you stick the others in the fridge to take the edge off. Remove the blackened skin and inside seeds, but don't worry about having little tiny bits of burn in there. It's okay. Stick your finished peppers in your blender. Add the onion mixture and puree.

4. When the pepper and onion mixture is quite smooth, transfer it back to the sauce pan. Add a couple dollops of creme fraiche (so good!). Oh, and if your blender is like mine and it's hard to get every last bit out, pour in a bit of milk. Like, 1/4 cup or so. Swish it around, pour it into your pot. Add some heavy cream. Stir. Reheat it.

5. Taste it. At this point, I added some salt and about 1/2 tsp or so of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the peppers. Maybe even a whole teaspoon. Not a lot, but enough.

6. Let it sit on the burner on low while you cook the pasta. Serve with grated cheese and snipped arugula over the top. You could also put some extra creme fraiche on the top, if you were feeling a bit underweight.

7. Now, if you're eating this with a man, I totally recommend a pork & portobello mushroom sausage that's at Costco. I'm sorry, I can't tell you want kind it is, specifically. There's also provolone in it too, I think. It's good. You can fry it up (don't need oil, it has plenty of its own fat) while the pasta is cooking, cut into half-rounds. Give it a good rinse when it's done, though. It's not low-fat, but rinsing it will take the edge off. Once you've drained and rinsed the pasta, throw in the sausage and pour the sauce over it.

Seriously. It's magical, and very very flavorful.

Getting sleepy. If you make the pasta, let me know, k?

Sunday Messages : Abba Bapa (Jadikanku Hamba Setia)

Gambar diambil dari :

http://lacy.obeyingthetruth.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/praise-the-lord.jpg

Topic starter : Minggu, 22 Agustus 2010 (11:01 pm)

Lagu ini sebenernya bukan baru pertama kali gua dengar tapi kadang berhubung yang dinyanyiin suka pas bagian reff-nya aja, pas dinyanyiin secara utuh jadi bingung, hahaha..

Nah naahh.. seperti lagu kali ini, di kebaktian itu di slideshow-nya dibilang judulnya itu "Jadikanku Hamba Setia" tapi pas gua search di internet kok judulnya "Abba Bapa" yaa? Ngga tau dhe mana yang bener, hahahaa..

Mending kita nyanyiin aja yuukk ;)

~.*.~

"Abba Bapa (Jadikanku Hamba Setia)"

Abba Bapa
Abba Bapa
Kau segalanya bagiku
Kunaikkan syukur padaMu
Dengan segenap hatiku
Abba Bapa
Ku mengasihiku

Lebih dari segalanya
Kuingin Kau Tuhan
Mas perak dan permata
Tiada artinya
Kuingin lebih dekat
Bersekutu denganMu
Jadikanku hamba setia kepadaMu

~.*.~

Loooooong long time ago, temen gua pernah berkata bahwa di dalam hati kita itu ada satu ruang khusus untuk Tuhan and ketika tempat itu masih kosong, maka kita akan terus merasakan ada yang kurang dalam diri dan hidup kita.

And tempat itu, that one very special space can only be filled by God, tapi seringkali kita itu mengisinya dengan hal2 lainnya dan merasa heran kenapa tetaaaap aja kita merasakan "kekosongan" itu dalam hati kita?

Ketika kita merasakan kekosongan itu, that is the time when God wants us to call on Him and let Him stay in our hearts.. bukan berarti Tuhan ngga bisa bersemayam di hati kita walau tanpa seijin kitaa, tapii.. sejak jaman Adam dan Hawa itu Tuhan telah memberikan manusia kehendak bebas yang sayangnya seringkali digunakan oleh para manusia untuk menjauh dariNya dan bukannya datang mendekat kepadaNya!

Matius 6:33 -> Tetapi carilah dahulu Kerajaan Allah dan kebenarannya, maka semuanya itu akan ditambahkan kepadamu.

Naahh.. ingaat!! Itu urutan yang benarrr.. carilah dahulu Kerajaan Allah dan kebenarannya! Jangan kebolak balik :p

And gua kembali diingatkan akan khotbah yang pernah gua dengar sekian waktu yang lalu, "Me + God = enough!", woooww.. kalo udah bisa nyampe tahap ituu.. mungkin hidup benar2 terasa lebih tenang dan damai bangets yaa, karena ngga gampang untuk bisa menerapkan seperti itu! Kalo me + God = enough maka hal2 lainnya yang kita dapatkan di luar itu ibarat hanya sebagai bonus, karena the main thing we need itu udah ada dalam genggaman tangan kita!

Wooww.. apa kalian udah nyampai tahap seperti itu? Kalo gua sih.. jelas belon! Ahahaha.. tapi gua harap gua diberi kesempatan untuk merasa seperti itu selama gua masih ada di bumi ini ;)

Topic ended : Minggu, 22 Agustus 2010 (11:28 pm)

-Indah-
a wonderer soul

One Way

Gambar diambil dari :

http://www.deviantart.com/download/81842712/One_Way_Wallpaper_Mod_by_in_dolly.jpg

Topic starter : Jumat, 20 Agustus 2010 (1:54 am)

Youtube diambil dari sini

Nyanyi sama2 yuk lagu "One Way" yang dinyanyikan oleh Hillsong United. Lirik diambil dari Gospel Lyric.

~.*.~

"One Way"

I lay my life down at your feet
Cause You're the only one I need
I turn to You
And You are always there
In troubled times
It's You I seek
I put You first
That's all I need
I humble all I am
All to You

One way, Jesus
You're the only one
That I could live for
One way, Jesus
You're the only one
That I could live for

You are always, always there
Every how and everywhere
Your grace abounds so deeply within me
You will never ever change
Yesterday, today the same
Forever till forever meets no end

One way, Jesus
You're the only one
That I could live for
One way, Jesus
You're the only one
That I could live for

You are the Way, the Truth and the Life
We live by faith and not by sight for You
We're living all for You

One way, Jesus
You're the only one
That I could live for
One way, Jesus
You're the only one
That I could live for

~.*.~

Pertama kali denger lagu ini bisa dibilang terjadi secara ngga sengaja, ahahahaha.. karena awalnya itu yang lagi gua cari adalah lagu lainnya dari Hillsong, lupa dhe yang mana.. nahh, gua baru tau kalo Hillsong itu ternyata ada yang Hillsong United!

Jangan tanya ke gua dhe any details about Hillsong ataupun Hillsong United karena gua ngga tau, huehehe.. Seringkali gua itu hanya tipe penikmat aja :p

Yang gua dengar pertama kali itu yang nyanyi malah cewek, tapi kok gua cari2 Youtube-nya malah ketemu yang nyanyinya itu cowok yaa? Hmm..

Anywayy.. gua suka ma lagu ini sejak pertama dengar karena musiknya yang enak and berhubung kalo soal lirik mah cuman secuil2 aja ketangkapnya kalo dengerin sendiri, hihihi.. jadilah gua baru tau liriknya yang mantaps pas lagi nyari2 buat postingan ini..

Bagian ini nih : we live by faith and not by sight!

Nahh.. karena faith itu believing in things we haven't yet seen! Karena kalo hanya bergantung ama apa yang bisa diliat oleh mata, wahh.. kacauu di mana2 and pengharapan itu rasanya amat sangat susah untuk bisa terus hidup!

But faith keeps the hopes alive even when our eyes cannot see what lays ahead in the road we're about to take!

Let's live by faith and not by sight! Dan hanya Tuhan yang bisa memampukan kita untuk bisa seperti itu ;)

Topic ended : Jumat, 20 Agustus 2010 (2:20 am)

-Indah-
a wanderer soul

It's my Birff-day

...Though I have a hard time believing it. Really. There's been so much crazy going on, on so many different levels. I haven't blogged much lately. Haven't used Twitter, either, but if you've been following the "news," you'll know that Twitter kills.

Anyway.

I got up this morning and checked my facebook page.

And realized that over the last year, my life has changed.

I discovered Greek yogurt. I got hooked on green tea. I found the perfect mascara. I learned to drive a car with cruise control. I got back on the sewing wagon. I figured out how to sift powdered sugar. I rediscovered the color yellow. I cut my hair short, as short (if not shorter) than it was in college. I watched my husband graduate with a masters degree. I made my first roux. I sang along with Glee.

I published a book. I can't tell you how many years I blew out my candles, wishing for a contract, wishing to publish a novel.

Plain Jayne came out in January. Sara will be out shortly. Over the last year, I've experienced my first release, first review in Publishers Weekly, first booksignings, first radio interview...

Because of the book, I've gotten to meet wonderful readers online, women who I'd never be able to connect with otherwise. It's crazy. It's humbling.

And I have no idea what next year will bring. But if there's something better than Greek yogurt out there, I'm ready.

Sunday Messages : Mengejar HadirMu

Gambar diambil dari :

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1190/555133353_b35a657959.jpg

 

 

 Topic starter : Minggu, 15 Agustus 2010 (9:16 pm)

Untuk hari Minggu ini ada beberapa lagu yang berkesan ketika tadi dinyanyikan dalam kebaktian. Setelah memilah dan memilih, gua memutuskan untuk Minggu ini memasang "Mengejar HadirMu" sebagai my Sunday Messages..

Mungkin kalo ada waktu bakal gua ketik juga lagu yang lainnya, huehehehe..

Nyanyii yookk..

~.*.~

"Mengejar HadirMu"

Dekat padaMu
Itu rinduku
Setiap kataku
Kau pun menunggu
Tak kusangka kutemukan
Satu kasih yang abadi
Kini kudatang
Dan membawa hidupku

Memandang wajahMu
Mengikuti kebenaranMu
Mengejar hadirMu
Dalam hidupku
Membawa sembahku
Menyatakan kebesaranMu
Mengejar hadirMu
Di dalam hidupku

~.*.~

Hmm.. Sudahkah kita mengejar hadirNya dalam hidup kita? Ataukah selama ini kita lebih berfokus pada hal2 lainnya dan mengabaikan kehadiranNya dalam hati dan hidup kita?

Tuhan, ajarkan saya untuk selalu memandang wajahMu, mengikuti kebenaranMu, membawa sembah saya kepadaMu dan menyatakan kebesaranMu serta selalu mengejar hadirMu dalam hidup saya.

Topic ended : Minggu, 15 Agustus 2010 (10:03 pm)

-Indah-
a wanderer soul

Sunday Messages : Juru Selamatku

Gambar diambil dari :

http://livingwittily.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c6bd853ef01156e509f4d970c-320wi

Topic starter : Minggu, 8 Agustus 2010 (8:14 pm)

Untuk lagu Minggu ini gua pilihkan lagu yang tadi dinyanyikan di gereja pas kebaktian, hmm.. berhubung baru pertama kali dengar jadi rada lost ama melodinya, hahaha..

Tapi, marii.. buat yang bisaa.. nyanyii yaa ;)

~.*.~

"Juru Selamatku"

Walau ku harus berjalan
Dalam lembah kekelaman
PerlindunganMu oh Tuhan
Nyatalah bagi hidupku

Tiada pernah sedetikpun
Tiada pernah Kau tinggalkan
Sungguh mulia dan sempurna
Hanya Kaulah yang layak disembah

Yesus Engkau Juru selamatku
Dalam janjiMu kemenanganku
Selamanya kan kunyatakan
Besar setiaMu di hidupku

~.*.~

Hmm.. tidakkah itu benar? Bahwa Tuhan tidak pernah sekalipun meninggalkan kita walaupun terkadang mungkin kita merasa sendirian tapi Dia selalu ada, hanya saja mungkin kita melihat ke arah yang salah sehingga ngga bisa merasakan ataupun melihat kehadiranNya.

Tuhan, besar setiaMu di hidup saya.. ajar saya untuk selalu menyadari bahwa Engkau selalu beserta saya dalam setiap langkah yang saya jalani dalam hidup ini, bahkan di saat terkelam sekalipun, Engkau selalu ada dan melindungi.

Tuhan, terima kasih atas segalanya.

Topic ended : Minggu, 8 Agustus 2010 (10:01 pm)

-Indah-
a wanderer soul

Passing Through

I need a better blogging system. By that, I mean that having a blogging system at all wouldn't be the worst idea. Life is unstructured right now; I'm between projects. Rather than spend long days trying desperately to get 1,200 words out, I'm working on everything else I put off until I hit one of the many deadlines that lead up to a print date.

So here's everything that's been going on in the Lodge camp:

1. Our grandpas passed away this last week. Two of them, opposite sides of the country, within 24 hours of each other. One was expected. We had no idea about the other until we got the call. Danny and I each have our own roller-coaster moments, but we're hanging in there. Can I just say that if you want to rack up treasure in heaven, grocery shop for those who have experienced loss. A precious friend brought us dinner (and then some!). It's amazing how something so simple can be so profound.

2. In other news, the Oregon Christian Writers' Conference went down beautifully. A herd of writers came out. It was fantastic. My classes went well, meetings with conferees over manuscripts went well, copies of Plain Jayne graduated from the back of my car to the loving homes of several readers. I am a bit exhausted, though. While I do a pretty good impersonation of an extrovert when necessary, it's nice to be home in the quiet.

3. I started work on the next book! It's about Gemma (friend to Jayne and Sara, feeder of many), and I have to say, It's going to be delicious. If you have any amazing recipes to pass on, let me know (and by amazing, I mean "something you'd feed to a food critic" good. Gemma doesn't mess around. Unless it's Oreos. She has a secret weakness for them...)

4. I'm officially all registered to attend the ACFW conference in September. This will be my first ACFW conference, as well as my first venture into the state of Indiana.

5. I bought yarn last night. Haven't knitted anything in about a year (I know; the mind reels). I have a bunch of Louisa Harding's Ca'D'Oro but it's not particularly seasonal - I just can't work with wool in the heat of the summer. So I bought a sweater's worth of this last night - it's the grey color shown at the top (though I really liked the Apple Blossom, I thought the grey would be be more multi-seasonal).

Sorry. This isn't my funniest or most insightful blog. Not for lack of material - I probably ought to write a whole blog about my new smart phone (in particular my intelligence-challenged so-called "genius button"), but I'm not there yet. Hopefully soon, though. It's an unusual season to be passing through; the trick is to remember we're just passing through.

Enjoy Aja : Indah BersamaMu

Gambar diambil dari :

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyXDGxaILQWisOz8Sn8GqcOpFl0sV30gDta6USzEdkm1GgRA3crNfjr3WHVWpdu1uMwmDRyihZvNTFLlvBDStEvT31wZDGm-ufQK3eXP8rzNPNOEYcfgwS_FxJDqlWo07YuC0wDy7aHHc/s320/601102_love_god_in_sand.jpg

Topic starter : Kamis, 5 Agustus 2010 (5:24 pm)

Semalam, untuk pertama kalinya gua KTM sendirian, huhuhu.. sendiriannya itu sebenernya ngga disengaja juga sih.

Awalnya ngajak Priscilla tapi dia sakit jadi ngga bisa ikut, ngajak Bella ehh dia mo fitness, ngajak Sheryl dengan sukses mendapat tolakan, hahahaha.. sementara ama Satine, awalnya dia mo pergi tapi menjelang menit2 dimulainya kebaktian.. dia batal.

Yaa.. sutralahh.. sometimes in life we still need to go on even when we're alone khan? ;)

Dan malam itu.. gua mendengarkan lagu "Indah BersamaMu", marii.. nyanyi sama2 yuukk..

~.*.~

"Indah BersamaMu"

Hanya dekat Allahku
Rasa tenang hatiku
Kau sertai jalanku
Sepanjang hidupku

Hanya dekat padaMu
Ada kekuatan baru
Kaulah perlindungan
Keselamatanku

Ku ingin selalu
Bersekutu denganMu
Menikmati hadiratMu
Biarkan rohMu
Tinggal dalam hidupku
Sungguh indah bersamaMu
Selamanya

~.*.~

Hmm.. itu benar ya, Tuhan, hanya dekatMu saja ada ketenangan dalam hati dan kekuatan baru untuk menjalani hari demi hari karena hanya Engkau yang bisa memberikan kekuatan untuk kami agar dapat bertahan dan tidak hanya sekedar bertahan tapi juga untuk keluar sebagai pemenang.

Tuhan, sertailah tiap langkah kami agar kami bisa berjalan menuju akhir perjalanan kami di dunia ini dan tetap ada di dalamMu.

Topic ended : Kamis, 5 Agustus 2010 (5:56 pm)

-Indah-
a wanderer soul

Bible Verse : Di Manakah Benihmu Ditabur?

Gambar diambil dari :

http://static.ulike.net/img/01_Planting_the_Seeds.jpg

Topic starter : Senin, 2 Agustus 2010 (2:39 am)

Sejak dalam kebaktian di hari Minggu pagi menjelang siang kemaren ini, ntah kenapa gua jadi pengen membahas ayat yang membahas "perumpamaan tentang seorang penabur" karena ketika pertama kali membacanya secara utuh sekian bulan yang lalu, ntah kenapa gua jadi mempertanyakan ke diri gua sendiri, "Di manakah selama ini benih gua itu ditabur?".

Gua akan mengambil dari kitab Matius 13, selain di kitab Matius, pembahasan tentang perumpamaan penabur ini juga dimuat di kitab Markus 4 dan Lukas 8, silahkan buka Alkitab kalian kalo mau baca versi komplitnya.

~.*.~

Matius 13:3 -> Dan Ia mengucapkan banyak hal dalam perumpamaan kepada mereka. Kata-Nya : "Adalah seorang penabur keluar untuk menabur.

Matius 13:4 -> Pada waktu ia menabur, sebagian benih itu jatuh di pinggir jalan, lalu datanglah burung dan memakannya sampai habis.

Matius 13:5 -> Sebagian jatuh di tanah yang berbatu-batu, yang tidak banyak tanahnya, lalu benih itupun segera tumbuh, karena tanahnya tipis.

Matius 13:6 -> Tetapi sesudah matahari terbit, layulah ia dan menjadi kering karena tidak berakar.

Matius 13:7 -> Sebagian lagi jatuh di tengah semak duri, lalu makin besarlah semak itu dan menghimpitnya hingga mati.

Matius 13:8 -> Dan sebagian jatuh di tanah yang baik lalu berbuah : ada yang seratus kali lipat, ada yang enam puluh kali lipat, ada yang tiga puluh kali lipat.

~.*.~

Kalo cuman baca sampai ayat ke-8 aja, mungkin bingung yaa.. apa sih maksudnyaa, ahahaha.. tapi mari kita skip beberapa ayat dan masuk ke dalam penjelasan mengenai perumpamaan yang disebutkan di ayat2 di atas.

~.*.~

Matius 13:18 -> Karena itu, dengarlah arti perumpamaan penabur itu.

Matius 13:19 -> Kepada setiap orang yang mendengar firman tentang Kerajaan Sorga, tetapi tidak mengertinya, datanglah si jahat dan merampas yang ditaburkan dalam hati orang itu; itulah benih yang ditaburkan di pinggir jalan.

Matius 13:20 -> Benih yang ditaburkan di tanah yang berbatu-batu ialah orang yang mendengar firman itu dan segera menerimanya dengan gembira.

Matius 13:21 -> Tetapi ia tidak berakar dan tahan sebentar saja. Apabila datang penindasan atau penganiayaan karena firman itu, orang itupun segera murtad.

Matius 13:22 -> Yang ditaburkan di tengah semak duri ialah orang yang mendengar firman itu, lalu kekuatiran dunia ini dan tipu daya kekayaan menghimpit firman itu sehingga tidak berbuah.

Matius 13:23 -> Yang ditaburkan di tanah yang baik ialah orang yang mendengar firman itu dan mengerti, dan karena itu ia berbuah, ada yang seratus kali lipat, ada yang enam puluh kali lipat, ada yang tiga puluh kali lipat."

~.*.~

Nah nahh.. gua jadi bertanya2, di manakah benih gua selama ini tertaburnya? Apakah di pinggir jalan? Ataukah di tanah berbatu2? Atau malah di tengah semak duri?

Tentu aja ngga ada yang perlu gua kuatirkan kalo memang benih2 tersebut jatuhnya di tanah yang baik, masalahnya.. bagaimana bila ternyata selama ini gua mengira benih itu ditabur di tanah yang baik, namun pada kenyataannyaa.. benih itu bukan jatuh di sana melainkan di salah satu dari 3 tempat yang disebutkan sebelumnya?! Naahh.. bahaya!

Hmm.. berbuah seperti apakah yang dimaksudkan dalam ayat 23 itu yaa?

Hmm.. hmm.. bagaimana dengan kalian? Di manakah benih kalian ditabur?

Topic ended : Senin, 2 Agustus 2010 (3:18 am)

-Indah-
a soul in her journey to the final destination

Sunday Messages : Allah Peduli

Gambar diambil dari :

http://neatnik2009.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/god-cares.jpg

Topic starter : Minggu, 1 Agustus 2010 (10:58 pm)

Ini bukan pertama kalinya gua menulis lirik lagu "Allah Peduli" tapi siang tadi pas kebaktian, lagu ini kembali dinyanyikan, dan entahlah.. mungkin lagi terasa 'pas' dengan suasana hati sehingga liriknya itu terasa menyentuh bangets.

Mari kita nyanyi bersama..

~.*.~

"Allah Peduli"

Banyak perkara
Yang tak dapat kumengerti
Mengapakah harus terjadi
Di dalam kehidupan ini

Satu perkara
Yang kusimpan dalam hati
Tiada sesuatu kan terjadi
Tanpa Allah peduli

Allah mengerti
Allah peduli
Segala persoalan
Yang kita hadapi
Tak akan pernah dibiarkanNya
Ku bergumul sendiri
Sebab Allah mengerti

~.*.~

Gua inget bangets years back then gua mendengarkan lagu ini pas kebaktian juga and pada saat itu gua juga menangis ketika menyanyikannya.

My troubled heart.. you might not understand why you have to go through what you're going through right now.. tapi tetaplah percaya bahwa Dia mengerti dan Dia peduli akan apa yang sedang kita alami..

The unspoken words yang mengganjal dalam hati.. the bitter tears.. tidak ada satupun yang tersembunyi dariNya. Dia tau segalanya tanpa kita perlu memberitahuNya.

Tetaplah percaya bahwa Tuhan itu baik.. dalam segala hal yang terjadi.. don't let anyone make you believe otherwise.

Dulu, sekarang dan selamanya Tuhan tidak pernah berubah :)

Topic ended : Minggu, 1 Agustus 2010 (11:19 pm)

-Indah-
the soul traveller